Sharing my postcards & stamps collection since 2009. These fuels my wanderlust and imagination -- bringing me to different places I probably won't be able to visit all in this single lifetime!

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Golden Statues of Peterhof

These two golden statues are among the many that fill the imperial estate of Peterhof. Found in the UNESCO heritage site of St. Petersburg, Russia, Peterhof is also referred to as 'the Russian Versaille'.

The construction of the majestic estate was commissioned by Peter the Great. Works began in 1714, to what was then known as Monplaisir -- 'my pleasure'. The way the imperial estate looks now is different to what it looked like in Peter's time though. A lot of additions were made by his granddaughter, Elizabeth of Russia, with the help of the Italian architect, Bartolomeo Rastrelli

Peterhof means Peter's Court in German. Such name was coined to the place during the World War II. The post-war name is Petrodvorets after the reconstruction, possible with 1,000 volunteers and military engineers in 1947.